It’s really quite simple.

We are part of the natural world. We marvel at the vastness of the cosmos, and we relish our place within it.

We experience the universe as an active part of it, fascinated—and inspired—because we’re made of the same ingredients as butterflies and
blue whales, giant sequoias and spiral galaxies.

We see each other through humanist eyes—as fellow human beings—as cousins—equal in dignity and deserving of compassion and respect.

We cherish our loved ones and treasure our short time in the world, so we tackle problems using the most successful methods ever devised—science, reason,
and free inquiry—to improve our lives and enhance the well-being of everyone.

We do not fear the unknown but rather take courage from the wondrous discoveries that have already been made.

We accept that our lives will end, but we find hope and take great joy in knowing that life keeps going.

We see ourselves as one tale among millions in the magnificent and ever-evolving story of life—and we are thrilled to be here.

We are secular humanists, and we are living happily without religion.

Be counted among the millions!

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Where do we find happiness?

Cody

Cody Hashman, CFI On Campus

“I'm lucky—we all are—because I am fortunate to be a part of the human experience. I am the beneficiary of past and present intellectual giants
whose compassion and creativity set the foundation for a brighter future. As a part of this human experience, I joyfully carry that torch with the same love
and compassion that my friends, loved ones, and complete strangers afford me every day, because progress rests in our collective hands.”

Leighann

Leighann Lord, CFI–Harlem

“What makes me happy is the ability, freedom, and courage to follow my dream. I think some of the pain in life comes from people not pursuing their
passion. As a stand-up comedian I get to make people laugh, usually on purpose but not always. Sometimes they're laughing at me, and that's ok too. I get
to take what makes me happy and share it with others. What's better than that?”

Reba

“I find my happiness in watching my children and grandchildren grow and mature.”

Reba Boyd Wooden, CFI–Indiana

“I find my happiness in watching my children and grandchildren grow and mature into beautiful people who contribute to the world in a positive way, in getting up in the morning and looking out at the beautiful trees and sky and thinking about the wonders of nature, in scientific discoveries that make life better for all of us, in progress in social justice that make our founding documents more than ‘promissory notes,’ in good friends and community, in good health and activity, and in learning new things every day. I find my purpose and meaning in life by trying in my small way to help make these things happen.”

Mark

“Whether I'm in the lab investigating cellular respiration, or on stage making your feet move, my happiness is passionate and personal.”

Mark D. Hatcher, CFI–Washington, DC

“Whether I'm in the lab investigating cellular respiration, or on stage making your feet move, my happiness is passionate and personal. I live on a big, beautiful planet with the health and freedom to explore it any way I choose. Add to that a world full of diverse altruistic humans who make every day unique and valuable. We all have individual paths to finding that which makes us hold our breath, but stand in awe together.”

Ron

“Sharing in someone’s learning experience and working with others to achieve goals.”

Ronald A. Lindsay, Center for Inquiry

“An unsolicited act of kindness, the unexpected embrace of a loved one, sharing in someone’s learning experience, working with others to achieve a goal that in some way, large or small, will promote human interests, reasoning together to arrive at the correct conclusion, and, of course, playing—all of these are occasions for happiness. They connect me to others, and in such connections lie inspiration, hope, and joy.”

Syd

Syd LeRoy, CFI–New York City

“Finding a supportive group of friends who take the time to ask questions and find the answers with you is invaluable. I didn't know a support system until I found people who felt comfortable asking the most taboo questions, because they actually cared and they were genuinely interested in the thoughts I had.”

Where do you find happiness?

We make our own meaning and are free to create purpose for our own existence. We decide for ourselves what we want to do with the limited time we have on
the planet. For example, we are connected with family, friends—even people we interact with around the world who we've never met in real life but who share
our values and ideals. Those connections all add meaning to our lives.

We’re not here for some cosmic or universal purpose—we’re simply here. But that’s a good thing, because it means we get to decide what to
do with our lives. We get to figure out what we want our purpose to be. That process itself is full of meaning.

Do people really need a divine commandment to know it's wrong to hurt people? No. Basic moral rules are common to all cultures.

We know we can choose on our own to be kind and compassionate. These virtues have intrinsic value, and showing kindness and compassion often leads
to kindness and compassion by others. We recognize our responsibility for making the world a better place for everyone.

For more complex issues, especially ones that touch on public policy, we have science and reason to help guide us. We study different behaviors, and we use
facts and data to help determine which behaviors are truly harmful and which ones are actually benign. We decide right and wrong based on real-world
experience, not on tradition or what a god wants or doesn't want.

More and more people are coming out as nonreligious all the time. It wasn't too long ago that not having a religion meant being alone, but that's just not
the case anymore, at least not everywhere. Chances are you live near a secular humanist or freethought group that has regular meetings, activities, and
family events. If you're a student, there might be a secular group right on campus. These are going to be smart, interesting folks who don't get together
because they have to, but because they seek each other out. If you're in trouble or if you need help, they step up and lend support.

One really good thing is that you can also opt out of these get togethers. There's no rule that says you have to be part of a group. If you prefer
to do your own thing or just check in every now and then, that's okay, too. But it's great to know there are people who think like you and have the same
questions and doubts as you—these people are out there. They probably live nearby. And they’re probably having a pizza night soon.

No. People can reach their own conclusions about how they want to live. But we want people to know what being nonreligious really means, and we want an end
to the unjustified prejudice many feel toward nonbelievers. We want to dispel the myth that says a life without belief in God leads to loneliness or a lost
sense of purpose or meaning. That's just simply not true, and there are millions of people to prove it.

It's practically impossible to talk about religion without offending somebody—but that's not a reason to avoid the subject. Religion is such a large part
of our culture; we all need to be able to talk about it without getting offended.

If this campaign opens up opportunities to talk with religious communities about the nonreligious life and to dispel stereotypes about nonreligious people,
that's a good thing. Those who do have doubts about religion need to know that there are many, many good things to look forward to.

Come speak to some of our members—people who have lived for years censoring what they say, suffering rejection by their families, being cast out of their
community—until they found the nonreligious community. The funds we spend on outreach campaigns are a small price to pay to reach others like
them, to start a discussion in their community about why it’s okay to live without religion, and to show how it’s possible to be happy without
religion.

The Center for Inquiry is an organization of humanists, skeptics, freethinkers, and atheists all working together at the public policy and grassroots levels to advance science and secularism.

We share basic values rooted in inquiry, naturalism, and the scientific method—values that urgently need to be demonstrated and advanced in the broader
culture.

To learn more, check out one of our major branches or visit the CFI website for a list of all branch locations, both U.S. and International.